Chapter 245

Luffy, Sanji, and Usopp ride the dial boat Conis lent them along the milky road toward the sacrificial altar inside Upper Yard. Sanji frets over Conis, but Usopp insists Gan Fall will keep her safe, while Luffy grumbles about the sluggish, unimpressive craft until Sanji tells him to quit complaining. Reaching the forest entrance, they marvel at trees so vast Sanji reckons they took millennia to grow. Usopp wants to retreat but Luffy charges ahead, and the eerie woods leave the sniper convinced unseen eyes are tracking them.

Chained blades, which Luffy dubs scythe monsters, swing at the boat, and after frantic paddling the trio narrowly dodge them all, only to drift far from the entrance. An eel-like beast lunges next, but Sanji fells it with one kick and deduces the heavy defenses guard something valuable. They arrive at a towering gateway offering four routes: the trials of Swamp, Iron, String, and Orb. Meanwhile at the altar, Zoro battles sky sharks and is briefly dragged beneath the clouds before punching one away. With the Merry's hull smashed, he assigns Chopper to repairs and heads into the forest for an exit. Robin asks to come along, and Nami joins too once Robin mentions possible treasure, the trio crossing the river by vine while a stranded Chopper realizes he has been left in the most dangerous spot.

Luffy, Usopp, and Sanji set foot on Upper Yard, and Chopper is stuck on his own to fix the Going Merry. Robin demonstrates her Devil Fruit ability by slowing Nami's reckless vine swing across the water. The cover continues Wapol's saga as the ruined ex-king resigns himself to life in a dump, mocked by children and dogs. Featured are the full Straw Hat crew, the Sky Lamprey and Sky Shark, plus Wapol and Hakowan on the cover.